Falling Divided
by protejerinnocencia
Summary: Elsa has devised a near perfect plan to divide and conquer the Rangers.  How far will they fall before they catch on?  Can they be saved? [TommyxJason]
1. I

The morning was grey as Kira rolled out of bed. She stared out the window as she rooted around in her drawer for her brush. She finally found it and ran it quickly through her hair. She had just slipped her dino-morpher onto her wrist when it beeped. She checked the clock and raised a brow. Conner and Ethan probably weren't up yet. And Dr. O didn't usually 'call' this early in the morning either.

"Hello?" she said, raising her wrist to her lips.

"Kira, you there?" Trent's voice called.

"Trent? Yeah I'm here. What's up?" she answered, starting to root through her closet to find something to wear. She had to admit, Dr. O was right. Where his closet most likely contained a lot of black, hers contained copious amounts of yellow.

"I…It's nothing," Trent muttered. Could he really tell her what he'd overheard in Mesagog's lair? Kira eyed her morpher with confusion. He'd sounded like he needed to talk and now he was backing away. What could he be hiding?

"Trent, is everything ok? You sound kind of upset," she said, grabbing a shirt and skirt with her free hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I uh…forgot what I wanted to tell you. I'll see you in class," he muttered hurriedly and the connection went dead.

"So weird," she sighed as she headed for the bathroom.

Half an hour later and after a rushed breakfast, she was on her way to school. She hit the edge of the school property when she spotted Conner and Ethan a few yards ahead.

"Hey guys!" she called starting to jog towards.

"Morning," Ethan greeted her. She scanned the immediate area for Trent but he was nowhere to be found.

"Lose something?" Conner snickered, earning a smack from Kira.

"No…I'm jus looking for Trent. He was acting really weird this morning," she stated. As they continued walking.

"This morning?" Ethan questioned.

"Yeah…you mean he didn't contact you?" she answered, looking shocked when her friends both shook their heads.

"I'm sure you'll see him in class," Conner assured her as they reached the front of the building. Not far from them, Principal Randall was standing, glaring at them.

"Doesn't she have anything better to do?" Kira groaned as they joined the throng entering the building. Kira looked back over her shoulder to see Randall give her a wink and a smile.

Little did Kira know but Randall had devised a plan and she was the key component. That morning in Mesagog's lair, Elsa had found her master in a foul mood over their latest defeat by Tommy and the other Dino Rangers. Fearing some grotesque punishment, she'd spent into the wee hours of the morning devising a new plan to at least cripple the Rangers severely.

"Good morning, sir," Elsa said tentatively but only received a withering glare from Mesagog.

"There is nothing good about it. Dr. Oliver and his pesky Dino Rangers are still in my way," Mesagog growled. Elsa cringed at his tone but took a deep breath before speaking again.

"I have a plan that-" she began but was cut off.

"Your plans have failed me too many times Elsa. Why should I try another of them?" the giant lizard demanded harshly.

"I was up all night coming up with this one and it's really good," Elsa begged. Mesagog considered her statement, stroking his chin with a clawed finger.

"Go on," he told her. She cleared her throat and stood to her full height.

"Well…if we can take out Tommy the other Rangers will be helpless. They rely on his every word like pathetic puppies," she picked up where she left off.

"What better way to get Tommy out of the way than to put him somewhere where he can't help them," she continued.

"Stop being so vague. How do you plan to get him out of the way," Mesagog growled.

"We cast a spell over Kira and use her to do the dirty work. She will seduce him and I, as Principal Randall, will find them and fire him. We can get him put in jail. They'll take away his pretty little communicator," she said with a devious smile.

"It just might work," Mesagog agreed.

"As soon as the spell wears off, the poor little Yellow Ranger won't remember what happened. They'll be too busy fighting amongst themselves to stop us…I mean you from taking over the world," she concluded with a nod.

"This may be your best plan yet, Elsa," Mesagog commented.

"Thank you, my lord," Elsa said, heaving a sigh of relief. At least she hadn't blown her explanation. If her plan worked, taking over the world and returning it to his prehistoric state would be a piece of cake.

"Begin preparations," he ordered and walked away. As Elsa turned to contemplate how best to place the spell over Kira, a figure emerged behind her. Trent just stared at the woman's back for a minute. He couldn't believe what he'd overheard. He needed to warn Kira and Dr. O. With a deep breath he snuck towards an invisiportal.

He was currently staring at his locker, hoping to avoid Kira as long as he could. He knew he should have told her what was going on. But he was legitimately freaked out that they wouldn't trust him if he told them where he'd been. He heard footsteps behind him and quickly spun around. He spotted Conner, Kira and Ethan coming his way. As fast as he could, he grabbed his science book and rushed towards the classroom but he wasn't fast enough.

"Trent!" Kira shouted, running after him. He stopped moving and let her catch up.

"Hey uh…I can't really talk right now. I'm going to be late for class," Trent mumbled, hoping she'd believe him. No such luck.

"We have fifteen minutes until class starts. What's going on?" she answered, blocking his way.

"I told you it's nothing," he said, pushing past her.

"He needs to learn some manners," Ethan remarked as the boys caught up with Kira.

"He's hiding something. I can feel it," Kira whispered.

"You think?" Conner quipped.

They passed the remaining time before class chatting about nothing in particular. As they headed for Dr. O's classroom, Kira felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Principal Randall standing behind her.

"I'll see you guys inside," Kira addressed her friends. They nodded and passed through the doorway.

"Can I help you Principal Randall?" Kira asked. She suddenly noticed that the hallway was extremely empty. Randall didn't say anything for a few minutes, putting Kira more on edge. Kira's gaze followed Randall's hand as she placed it on her shoulder.

"You're going to do exactly what I tell you," Randall said, her eyes glowing. Kira's eyes mirrored the flash. Randall proceeded to explain the plan in great detail to Kira who nodded her head in understanding.

"Now get to class," she ordered. Kira's eyes flashed once more and he headed inside. Tommy saw Randall walk by as Kira entered and didn't bother voicing his concern about her being late.

"Everything ok?" Conner whispered as Tommy lectured.

"Fine," Kira answered with a shrug. Tommy fixed the pair with a look that said 'stop talking unless it's something you want to share with everyone.' The bell finally rang and Kira bolted from her seat.

"See you all tomorrow. Have a good rest of the day," Tommy called to the rest of students as they filed out. Tent hung back a little, hoping Tommy would notice him and engage him in conversation. Unfortunately, Tommy was too engrossed in organizing his notes.

"Dr. O," Trent finally said, moving to the front of the room.

"Hey Trent. Can I help you with something?" Tommy asked, looking up at the young man.

"Yeah…look there's something I need to tell you. It's really important," Trent started to say when a beeping sound went off. Tommy pulled out a beeper and looked at the small display.

"Can we talk later? I really need to take this call," Tommy said. Trent bit his lip for a minute.

"Yeah…sure," he muttered and headed for the door. Tommy pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number as Trent walked away.

He couldn't concentrate the rest of the day. He was too worried about Mesagog and Elsa's plan. He needed to warn Tommy before Kira got to him. He was on his way to his last class when he spotted Tommy talking with one of the other science teachers.

"Hey Dr. O," Trent called, stopping a few feet away.

"Excuse for a minute," Tommy said to the other teacher.

"What's up Trent?" he asked, clearly remembering the urgency with which Trent had spoken to him earlier.

"Can we talk in private?" Trent asked. Tommy nodded, leading into his classroom. Trent caught sight of Principal Randall out of the corner of his eye.

"What did you need to tell me earlier?" Tommy asked.

"I overheard something this morning…you need to-" his student tried to explain when an announcement came over the loud speakers.

"Trent Mercer please report to the Principal's office immediately," Randall's voice boomed.

"Just…be careful…if…" Trent tried to continue when the announcement blared again.

"You'd better get in there. You know how Randall gets when she is mad," Tommy said with a small laugh. He definitely felt the say way his students did about the surly principal. Trent gave Tommy a pleading look but did as he was told. He passed Kira in the hall and was about to stop her when he ran straight into Randall.

"My office," she ground out, dragging him by the sleeve. The last thing he saw before the rounded the corner was Kira knocking on the doorframe of Tommy's classroom.


	2. II

Tent followed Principal Randall down the hall and into the office where she instructed him to sit. He slumped into the chair and watched her go into her office and shut the door. He looked around him to see that the secretary wasn't there. He took a deep breath. There was a chance he could sneak away and stop Kira before she did anything. Unfortunately just as he was about slip away, the door opened and Randall motioned for him to join her.

"I didn't do anything," Trent complained as he sat down across from her.

"I can't have you getting in trouble now can I, Trent. Think what your father would say," Randall simpered, leaning on her elbows. Trent glared at the woman. At that moment he wish he could tell the rest of the team that Principal Randall was really Elsa.

"You're not going to get away with this," he countered.

"Oh but see I have. You're here…and well…I think you know the rest," she said with a snicker.

At the other end of the school, Kira was knocking on Tommy's door. Tommy looked up and saw her standing there alone. He motioned for her to come in and she did so.

"Something wrong, Kira?" he asked as she stopped right in front of him.

"You aren't busy are you?" Kira asked and Tommy shook his head 'no'.

"It's….Ranger related," she added and Tommy went and shut the door. When he turned back around he nearly walked right into Kira. He noticed she'd tossed her bag on a nearby table.

"So what's up?" he asked again. She didn't answer him. She was twisting a piece of hair around her finger and seemed to be staring at a spot on the floor.

"Kira," he called, reaching out lift her head up. As soon as his fingers brushed her skin , she grabbed his wrist and shoved him against the chalkboard. She had to stand on her toes to reach his ear.

"What's up? What's up is that I want you " she breathed. Tommy tried to laugh, figuring she was just joking.

"Excuse me?" he finally managed to get out. His voice was unnaturally high.

"I want you," she repeated, pausing after each word for effect.

"This isn't funny Kira," he said, pushing her away from him. She pouted a little and began to unbutton her shirt. Tommy turned around and ran a hand over his face. This was insane. He needed to get himself out of this situation and quickly for both their sakes. He slowly turned back around and was met with Kira standing there in her bra.

"Put your shirt on," he ordered but she ignored him. She closed the gap between them and reached up and kissed him on the lips.

"I don't want to," she whispered against his lips.

"You're going to put it on now," he repeated more forcefully. She backed up and he breathed a small sigh of relief. Whatever game she was playing was not going to work. He perched on the edge of his desk as she reached for her shirt. Instead of putting it on she wrapped around his shoulders like a feather boa and slid into his lap.

"You don't know what you're missing," she laughed, tugging on the hem of his shirt. Tommy grabbed her hand and pulled it away.

"You are going to stop right now. I don't know what you think you're doing but it's not going to happen. We are on school grounds and this is completely inappropriate," he said. Once again she started to comply but stopped.

"Don't you think I'm pretty?" she asked, giving him another pout.

"Kira, you are sixteen. We shouldn't even be having this conversation," Tommy shot.

"Aren't you even curious…the things I could do to you," she baited. He stood up and started for the door, not even acknowledging her statement. His hand was on the handle when she let out a sonic scream. He fell to the floor, clutching his ears. As quickly as the sound wave had erupted, it was gone. He looked at the young woman before him.

"I want an answer, Dr. Oliver," she said coolly. Tommy slowly stood up, trying to keep his distance.

"No. I'm not curious in the least. And you know why," he answered.

"We'll see about that," she snickered, and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him to her for another kiss. As she kept him there with her lips, she used one hand to begin to unbutton his shirt. He tried to fight her, to push her away but she only clutched him tighter.

"Kira, please stop," he begged once she finally let him come up for air.

"I don't think so," she laughed.

Back in Randall's office, Trent continued to glare at the woman. She matched his look, only glancing away to check something on her computer screen. He tried to see what it was but she was blocking his way.

"What makes you think I won't spill your secret, Elsa?" he asked finally.

"And risk letting your Daddy's secret slip too? I don't think so," she said with a smile. It made him grimace.

"You will never win," Trent spat at her. She just shook her head as something on the screen caught her attention. She let out a noise that sounded like she was excited and stood.

"I wouldn't go anywhere if I were you. Not that it really matters," she said and waltzed out of the office. Trent was on his feet instantly. He concentrated and blended in with the wall. He tried to run as quickly as he could towards Tommy's classroom. He had a feeling that's where Randall was going. He prayed nothing bad had happened.

Back in the classroom Kira had begun to weaken Tommy's defenses. He was protesting less often. He honestly felt powerless against the girl. She could cripple him instantly if she chose to. All she needed to do was open her mouth. Her lips were attached, leech-like to his neck while one hand slid along his arm, wrapping her fingers between his.

"Kira," he rasped, trying feebly to protest again. Her lips detached themselves and moved to his ear.

"Tell me you want me," she hissed. He swallowed, fighting the erection he felt growing. He couldn't do this. He just couldn't. It was completely wrong on so many levels.

"I can't," he answered. She leaned back so she could look into his eyes.

"Maybe this will change your mind," she teased, sliding out of his lap and onto her knees on the floor before him.

"No," he told her but she wouldn't listen. She reached up and was about to take hold of the zipper when the door opened.

Randall walking with purpose down the hallway towards Tommy's classroom. She had every confidence she would interrupt something inappropriate. After all, the spell was working. She reached the door and peered through the small pane of glass at eye level. She spotted Tommy sitting the desk, his shirt open. She didn't see Kira but she assumed the girl was working her magic. With a smile she pulled the door open and burst onto the scene.

"What in the world is going on here?" demanded loudly. Tommy jumped a foot off the desk, looking as red as a tomato. Kira looked up, annoyed at the intrusion.

"Absolutely nothing is going on, Principal Randall," Tommy tried to say but she held up a hand to silence him.

"This sort of behavior is not tolerated at Reef Side High," she spat at him, watching him hurriedly redo the buttons on his shirt.

"It's not what you think. I swear," he protested.

"I've heard enough. You are fired," she snapped and looked at Kira. She sighed but pulled her shirt back on.

Trent watched from his hiding place in the lockers across from the room. He'd seen what had been happening as soon as Randall opened the door. Tommy looked genuinely embarrassed and freaked out.

"You haven't heard my side of the story," Tommy shouted at her.

"Save it for the school board," she hissed and turned to Kira.

"Has this happened before?" Randall questioned.

"A few," Kira lied. Tommy looked at her in shock.

"This has never happened before," Tommy rebutted.

"Trying to hide your actions won't help you Dr. Oliver. Taking advantage of a student like that," Randall remarked, looking disgusted. With that she dragged him out of the room and down the hall towards her office. Trent bit his lip and went in search of Conner and Ethan. By the time he'd found them and gotten back to Tommy's classroom, Kira was gone.

"What's so important dude?" Conner asked.

"Dr. O is in huge trouble," Trent said. Just then the final bell rang and students began to pour out from classroom. He led his friends toward the front of the school where a group of students had stopped to stare. A marked police car was sitting out front and to their horror Dr. O was being handcuffed. Principal Randall stood a few yards away. Kira was nowhere to be seen.


	3. III

By he time the officers had loaded Tommy into the car, the rest of the student body had assembled near the front doors. From behind them, Trent heard a familiar voice.

"Move! Get out of the way!" Cassidy ordered as she dragged Devon along. They passed Trent, Conner and Ethan, managing to part the crowd.

"Is the camera ready?" Cassidy asked.

"Oh yeah," Devon muttered, setting up his equipment. Cassidy quickly checked her hair before she began address the camera lens.

"This Cassidy Cornell reporting from Reef Side High," she began.

"We have just witnessed one of the school beloved science teachers being arrested. The crime is yet unknown," she continued. Before she could say another word, Trent stepped between her and Devon.

"You are in my light," she snapped.

"You really don't want to do this Cassidy," Trent said as calmly as he could. He still hadn't spotted Kira anywhere.

"It's a huge scoop and I am going to get my story," Cassidy spat back at him, trying to get Devon to move the camera. Trent finally put his hand over the camera lens.

"I'm telling you. You do not want to do this," he repeated more forcefully.

"Is that some kind of threat?" Cassidy scoffed.

"No. It's a promise. Because you don't know anything about what's going on. And Dr. O doesn't need your bullshit being spread around the school," Trent spat and walked away. Devon watched him go and immediately turned the camera off.

"Devon, what are you doing?" Cassidy shrieked.

"You heard what he said…and I think Trent is right. I mean we don't have any of the facts. It would be bad reporting," Devon answered, leaving Cassidy to pout by herself.

Once the car had sped away from the school, Principal Randall turned to face the assemblage of students.

"Move along. There is nothing to see," she snapped and everyone began to disperse. Trent had rejoined Conner and Ethan.

"Any idea what's going on?" Conner asked and Trent just shook his head. He needed to find Kira and fast. He may not have gotten to either of them in time but maybe he could do some damage control afterwards.

"Has anyone seen Kira?" Ethan questioned.

"Not since lunch," Conner replied.

"I'll go look for her. You guys should head over to the lab. Tell Hayley that Dr. O has been arrested," Trent added as he sprinted down the hallway. Conner and Ethan shared a look but headed outside.

Trent ran down every hallway in the school but found no sign of Kira. He finally stopped to catch his breath and was hit with an idea. He lifted his morpher to his lips.

"Kira?" he called out. At first he got no response. He tried again. The response came from directly behind him.

"Hey Trent," Kira said. Trent spun around to face her.

"Where were you?" Trent demanded.

"Is that really any of your business?" Kira asked. Trent glared at her and she let out a huff.

"I was in the bathroom. Then I stopped at my locker to get my stuff," she answered.

"You….missed the big scene outside," Trent muttered as they started to head for the front of the building.

"What happened?" Kira asked.

"Oh…nothing too important…just our teacher getting arrested," Trent spat angrily.

"What?" Kira gasped, looking shocked.

"You honestly don't remember?" Trent ground out.

"Remember? Remember what? Trent what are you talking about?" Kira babbled. He opened his mouth to respond but decided against it. He knew it technically wasn't Kira's fault. She was under a spell.

"We need to get to the lab and talk to Hayley. Conner and Ethan are already on their way," he sighed, dragging her along.

Over at police headquarters, Tommy was being escorted to a holding cell. Before the guard shut the door, he removed the handcuffs as well as Tommy's dino-morpher. Running a hand over his eyes he slumped down on the bench. This was crazy. He needed to get in touch with Hayley and try to figure out what was going on. He watched intently as the two guards conversed nearby.

"Hey," Tommy called, catching the attention of the closer of the two. He raised a brow but walked over.

"What do you want?" the guard asked.

"Don't I get a phone call or something?" Tommy asked. The guard let out a laugh and eyed his partner.

"Should we give him his phone call?" he asked, still laughing.

"Why not. Give him five minutes," the other guard answered. Tommy stepped back to allow the guard to open the door. He was led down a short hallway and into a small room with a phone. The guards stood b y the door, never taking their eyes off of him. Tommy picked up the phone and hurriedly dialed his home number. The other end picked up after just one ring.

"Hello?" Hayley's voice spoke.

"Hayley," Tommy said.

"Tommy? You ok? You sound kind of…freaked out," Hayley commented.

"Look…Something happened today. I can't go into much detail…I've only got five minutes. I'm in jail. Kira…attacked me…Randall walked in," he said in one long breath.

"Whoah slow down a second. Kira attacked you? How?" Hayley erupted.

"Well…sexually," he answered softly.

"You have to be kidding," she railed.

"I need you to call Jason and tell him what's going on," he added.

"Sure thing. But…are you going to be ok?" Hayley asked.

"Yeah…I'll be fine. Look the guards are glaring so I need to hang up," he muttered and ended the call.

"Let's go," the first guard said and ushered Tommy back to the cell.

Back at the lab, Hayley was about to dial Jason's number when she heard footsteps behind her. She spun around in her chair to see Conner and Ethan walking in.

"We have a big problem. Dr. O got arrested," Ethan informed her.

"I know. I just talked to him," she informed them.

"Is he ok? What did he say?" Conner pressed.

"Well…he said he is ok for now. He said…" she began but was cut off.

"Kira tried to seduce him and Randall walked in," Trent stated. Conner and Ethan's jaws dropped at his statement.

"Did you hit your head or something dude?" Conner asked.

"No," Trent snapped. Kira came into view and all eyes fell on her.

"The problem is she doesn't remember doing it," Trent added.

"I swear I don't know what is going on. I didn't do anything to Dr. O," Kira protested.

"Look. I need to make a call. Stay here," Hayley interrupted. She grabbed the phone and headed upstairs to the kitchen. She dialed Jason's cell phone number and waited. It rang several times before anything happened.

Jason was pulling through a stop sign on his motorcycle when he heard his cell phone ringing. As soon as he could he pulled off to the side of the road and checked the caller ID. He smiled to himself.

"Hey," he said a hint of seduction in his tone.

"Hi to you too. No time for sexy banter. We have a problem," Hayley said matter-of-factly.

"Hayley…I…what's up?" Jason asked, sounding embarrassed.

"Tommy's been arrested for sexual assault. I think you need to be here," Hayley explained.

"Sexual assault? What the hell happened?" Jason demanded.

"One of his students came on to him and they got caught by the principal," she continued.

"A student?" he managed to get out.

"I'm on my way. I'm only a few miles away from Reef Side. I'll be there as soon as I can," Jason said and ended the call. Angrily he climbed back onto his bike and pulled back into traffic.

Some twenty minutes later he pulled into Tommy's driveway. He cut the engine and climbed off the bike. In ten seconds flat he was in the house and walking down the stairs. He found the Rangers and Hayley just glancing at each other in unease.

"So who's the little bitch who got him arrested?" Jason demanded. Kira cringed at his tone and took a step back. That was enough signal for him that he'd found the guilty party.

"You little slut," he spat, his hand coming down hard against her cheek. In a heartbeat Trent was blocking Jason's way.

"Back off," Trent hissed.

"Get out of my way," Jason shot back. Hayley was out of her seat, clutching Jason by the arm.

"Jason…this isn't going to solve anything. Besides do you really think Tommy would want you beating the crap out of a sixteen-year-old girl?" Hayley snapped.

"We need to figure out how to fix this before something bad happens," Trent voiced, still blocking Jason's way. Ethan and Conner had moved away from Kira, fearing that Jason would lash out at them too.

"Have any ideas?" Ethan asked. Trent bit the inside of his cheek, trying to think. If they had any chance of trying to get Tommy out of prison, then he'd need to tell them what he had heard at Mesagog's lair that morning.

"I might," he said, finally deciding to fess up.


	4. IV

Trent looked at the people around him and swallowed. This was not going to be easy or pleasant. He licked his lips before he began to speak.

"Well…Kira was under a spell," he began and instantly Conner and Ethan scoffed.

"That's the best you got?" Conner interrupted.

"If you'd shut up and let me finish you wouldn't be so confused," Trent shot back.

"Mesagog and Elsa want Dr. O out of the way so we can't get to him. They want to divide us," he continued.

"How do you…" Hayley began to question.

"Because I heard them making their plans this morning. I…I was at Mesagog's lair," he admitted.

"You could have been caught," Kira exclaimed.

"I wasn't. I don't think they even knew I was there. And that's not all I found out. Principal Randall…is Elsa," he replied.

"Wait…go back a minute. What exactly were you doing in Mesagog's lair?" Ethan interjected.

"I was spying, ok. I figure the more we know about what they are up to, the better prepared we'll be," Trent answered.

"Look I know you guys didn't trust me. That's why I didn't say anything before," he added.

"You're right…we don't trust you. You can't just go sneaking around with the enemy. How are we supposed to know that you're really on our side?" Conner shot.

"Conner. Stop it," Kira said.

"This is so messed up. Dr. O is in jail…Kira claims to not know anything and you go behind our backs," Conner continued.

"Step off, man. I'm trying to fix this. All you're doing is standing there complaining like a little girl," Trent fired back.

"Trent, what else did you hear?" Hayley interrupted.

"Just that with Dr. O out of the way, we won't know what to do. They are going to use this as their way of taking over the world. And honestly, it's a pretty good plan. We're doing exactly what they want us to do…argue," he answered.

No one said anything for a minute. Kira had taken a seat far from the group and was rubbing her sore cheek. Jason had just been taking it all in. He knew he shouldn't have done what he did. While Trent, Conner and Ethan stood in silence he went and joined Kira. She jumped a little at his presence and tried to move away.

"I wanted to apologize," he murmured, offering his hand.

"I just…got a hot head. I guess I forgot what being a Ranger was like…when the bad guys do anything they can to mess with your head," he continued.

"I just wish I could remember what I did. I feel horrible that Dr. O is in jail because of me," she whispered.

"We'll figure it out," Jason tried to reassure her.

'So what do we do now?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah I mean we can't just let Dr. O rot in prison," Conner added.

"Trent…if you knew about Mesagog's plan…why didn't you say something?" Hayley interjected.

"I tried. I was trying to tell Dr. O when I got called down to the principal's office," he answered.

"So that's why you contacted me this morning," Kira said, a look of understanding dawning on her face.

"But why didn't you tell me?" she added.

"I was scared. I didn't want you to think I was still working with Mesagog," Trent muttered.

"Well maybe you should have tried harder," Conner grumbled.

Back in Mesagog's lair, Elsa was smiling contently to herself. So far her plan was working. She couldn't believe the look on Tommy's face when she'd walked in as Principal Randall. She had never seen him so flustered or embarrassed.

"Elsa," a voice called from behind her. She spun around and came face-to-face with Mesagog.

"Lord Mesagog. My plan is working. Dr. Oliver is conveniently being held in prison and the other Rangers have no way of contacting him," she reported.

"Good. Very good. Now. We shall begin the second phase," he said, smiling a disgusting grin.

"Second phase? What second phase?" Elsa asked, starting to panic.

"I will create a creature capable of turning the Earth back to its rightful state…piece by piece. It will be a magnificent creature. The Rangers will be too preoccupied with their situation to stop my monster," Mesagog informed her.

"Oh it's brilliant my Lord," she gushed.

"Just one question…what will happen to all the humans?" she asked.

"Once they are hit with my creature's ray, they will turn into dinosaurs. I will finally reach my goal. And no one is going to stop me," he cackled. Elsa laughed nervously along with him. She secretly hoped she wouldn't be turned into a dinosaur.

"Now, leave me. I must concentrate on my monster," Mesagog boomed.

Back at Tommy's lab Hayley was staring at the screen before at her. The others had grown quiet and were mostly pacing around, avoiding eye contact. She hit a series of keys and frowned.

"This isn't good," she announced.

"What's not good?" Jason asked, leaning over her shoulder.

"I can't pick up Tommy's biorhythms. Or his dino-gem energy," she answered.

"Can one of you try contacting him with your morpher?" she called to the four teens. Trent nodded and lifted his morpher to his mouth.

"Dr. O. It's Trent, come in," he spoke. He got no response so he tried again.

"Dr. O can you hear me?" he called and still no response.

"He's not responding," he announced.

"They probably took everything when he got there," Jason supplied. With that Hayley grabbed her jacket and keys.

"Where are you going?" Conner called.

"To see if I can see him. He needs to know that we're at least trying to figure this out. At the very least find out his side of what happened," she answered as she headed up the stairs.

"I'm coming with you," Kira said, sprinting up the steps.

"No. You can't go," Jason called after her.

"He's right. It's not a good idea for any of you go. We don't want to make things worse," Hayley agreed. Kira looked annoyed but descended the stairs.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Hayley called. They all grew silent as they heard the door open and close and the car engine start.

She drove for what felt like ages, hitting every light on the way. By the time she go to the police station she'd spent nearly a half hour in the car. She rushed inside and stopped at the front desk.

"Can I help you?" a female officer asked.

"Uh…a friend of mine got arrested this afternoon and I was wondering if it were possible for me to just see him for a few minutes," Hayley said in one breath.

"Name?" she asked.

"Thomas Oliver," Hayley answered. The woman typed the name into the computer in front of her.

"He's in a holding cell. You can see him for fifteen minutes. You'll have to go through security," the officer told her. Hayley nodded her head and went in the direction the officer pointed. She walked through a metal detector and once the guards were satisfied she didn't have anything she could give him, they brought her to Tommy.

"Hayley?" he asked, standing. She ran and wrapped her arms around him.

"We've got fifteen minutes," she said and they sat down across from each other at a table. The guards kept a close eye on them.

"What's going on?" Tommy asked.

"Well…it turns out this is one of Mesagog's plans to take over the world," Hayley hissed.

"You have to be joking," Tommy groaned.

"No. Trent…overheard them planning. Elsa put a spell on Kira to well…you know. They need you out of the way," she explained.

"I've got to hand it to them…it's not a bad plan," Tommy muttered. Hayley smiled a little.

"But how did Trent overhear them?" he added.

"He was spying in Mesagog's lair," she murmured.

"So that's what he was trying to tell me earlier," Tommy gasped, realization dawning on him.

"We're going to figure a way out of this. I promise," she said, placing one hand over his.

"Thanks. Is Jason…" Tommy began.

"He's in town. He was a little…upset when he showed up," she said, hoping to not have to go into detail.

"How upset?" Tommy probed.

"Enough to hit Kira," Hayley mumbled into her sleeve.

"He did what? Is he nuts?" Tommy exploded. The guards took a step in their direction.

"You know how he gets. Do you want me to see if I can get him in to see you?" Hayley responded.

"No…I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want the guys here knowing…" he trailed off.

"He won't be happy but I'll tell him," she muttered. Just then one of the guards walked over to the table.

"Time's up," he said gruffly. Both stood and started to part ways.

"I have a bail hearing in the morning," Tommy called as they led him out the side door. Hayley made her way back to the front of the building, picking up her phone and keys on the way out.


	5. V

Kira tossed and turned that night in bed. She couldn't sleep; her mind racing as she tried to recall even one small iota of what had happened between her and Tommy. Her efforts were useless. Try as she might, she couldn't remember a single thing. She rolled over and stared at her clock, watching the number slowly change.

"This is stupid," she finally grumbled to herself and sat up. She didn't care that it was after midnight. She needed to get her mind off of this. She slipped into her shoes and grabbed a jacket and her guitar. As quietly as she could she headed outside and up the road a little bit. She found a rock and sat down. She felt the familiar strings beneath her fingers as she strummed.

She wasn't the only ranger unable to sleep that night. Trent was pacing around his room, silently berating himself for not trying hard enough to warn Kira and Dr. O. Conner had been right. He should have tried a hell of a lot harder. When finally realized he wasn't going to fall asleep he pulled on sneakers and headed downstairs. He started walking, not entirely sure where he was going. When he finally stopped walking, he'd ended up the Cyber Space. He fished into his pocket for the key and quietly unlocked the door. He sat down on the couch facing the TV and stretched out.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed until he heard footsteps approaching and the door squeaking open. He jumped up, looking around until he saw Kira walk in.

"Kira?" he called. She looked up at him, guitar still in hand.

"Trent…what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Probably the same thing you are," he mused as she joined him.

"I cant' sleep," she explained.

"Me either," he agreed. They fell into silence for a while, Kira just plucking the strings of her guitar.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he whispered. She looked at him and actually smiled.

"You tried," she answered, leaning over and kissing him gently on the cheek. Trent couldn't help but blush.

"At least you don't hate me," he sighed.

"I know how you feel. Conner and Ethan are completely shunning me," she complained.

"How's your cheek?' he asked.

"Still sore," she answered. He leaned over and kissed her back, eliciting a small laugh. He checked his watch and realized it was almost four in the morning.

"You don't think Hayley would mind if she stayed here tonight do you?" Kira asked after a moment.

"No," Trent replied and they curled up on the couch.

Hours later Tommy was sitting across from his public defender, giving his side of the story. The attorney was squat and plump with a receding hair line.

"Now tell me just one more what happened," he said.

"I was doing some work in my classroom and one of my students came in and said they needed to talk to me," Tommy began.

"It was a private matter so I shut the door and when I turned around she shoved me against a wall and starting telling me she wanted me," he continued, felling a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"Then what happened?" the attorney interrupted.

"I told her to stop and pushed her away. Then uh…she started to take her shirt off. I told her it wasn't appropriate and to put it back on. The next thing I know she's in my lap," he admitted, starting to get uncomfortable. He wasn't entirely sure why his public defender needed to know all of this for a bail hearing.

"Is that all?" the attorney asked.

"No. She managed to undo my shirt and was going for my pants when the principal walked in," he muttered.

"Had she ever acted this way before?" the squat man inquired.

"No. It was completely unlike her. She was definitely not herself," Tommy answered.

"Any idea what would trigger this? Maybe she was struggling in class? Thought she could get her grade up?" he suggested.

"No. Kira is a good student and she knows that sort of thing wouldn't work," Tommy stated.

"May I ask how you are so sure?" his public defender questioned. Tommy glanced around to make sure no one else would hear him. Thankfully the guards were posted outside the room.

"Because she knows I'm…gay," he whispered. The man sitting across from him nodded his head.

"Good enough reason for me. Well let's hope we can convince a judge that you're not a flight risk and that good stuff. You should be out of here by tomorrow," the man said. Tommy stood up and shook the man's hand before they were both escorted out.

Around eleven, Tommy found himself sitting next to his public defender the court room. He glanced behind him and saw two familiar faces. He hadn't expected Hayley and Jason to show up but he wasn't entirely surprised. They gave a little wave and inclined his head. He and Jason shared a lingering look before he turned around.

"That your…partner?" his public defender whispered in Tommy's ear.

"Yeah…" Tommy answered as the judge walked in. The court room rose.

"Be seated," the judge called and the benches creaked as people took their seats.

The bailiff stood and read the docket number and Tommy and his attorney stood. He looked over to see the DA stand as well.

"Mr. Greene, how does your client plead?" the judge asked, addressing Tommy's attorney.

"Not guilty your honor," Greene answered.

"District Attorney Brayer, what is the people's request?" the judge questioned. The DA cleared his through.

"The people request remand to local facility," Brayer replied.

"Your Honor. My client is not a flight risk, nor is he a danger to himself or others," Greene interjected.

"I beg to differ. This man is a predator. He no doubt knows where his students live," the DA argued. Before Attorney Greene could open his mouth the judge slammed his gavel down.

"Defendant is remanded to police custody. Bail is set at five hundred thousand dollars. Next case," he called. Tommy and his attorney shared a confused look as he was led away. In the gallery Jason's features grew dark.

"That son-of-a-bitch," he spat.

"We'll find a way to get him out of there," Hayley assured him as they walked out of the room.

"You know neither of us has that kind of money," Jason commented as they drove back to the lab.

"Well we will figure something out," she repeated.

That afternoon the Rangers found Hayley and Jason pacing around the lab, looking forlorn.

"What's going on?" Conner asked, keeping his distance from Kira.

"We've been trying to think all afternoon of a way to raise the money to bail Tommy out," Hayley answered.

"How much is it?" Trent asked.

"Five hundred thousand," Jason grumbled. Trent scratched his head for a minute.

"I know where we can get the money," he said. He was met with several raised brows.

"My dad is pretty damn rich. I'm sure he wouldn't miss a few hundred thousand," he explained.

"I thought your dad hated Dr. O," Ethan remarked.

"He doesn't hate Dr. O. They just…have their differences," Trent countered.

"We don't want to ask your dad for all that money, Trent," Hayley interjected.

"So we can work on raising the rest of it ourselves. We can all chip in," he answered.

Far away from Reef Side and Tommy's lab, Mesagog was feverishly working on combining various fragments of DNA. Elsa watched from a distance. He'd been at this all day and hadn't said so much as 'boo'.

"Lord Mesagog…how is the creature coming?" she finally asked, hoping he wouldn't try to give her the world's biggest migraine. The giant reptile slowly turned away from his experiment.

"It would go faster if you did not disturb me, Elsa," he growled.

"I'm sorry…just curious you know. Can't really blame me can you? We all want to see what magnificent creation you come up with," she said, stroking his ego. He gave a reptilian smirk and gathered the various vials and put them into the genome randomizer. With what looked like fiendish glee he pushed some buttons and pulled the lever back. The DNA filled the chamber, creating multicolored smoke. Elsa took several steps back as the doors to the chamber slid open and the creature stepped out.

"It's…" she began, not quite sure what word would best describe the thing before her.

"It is magnificent," Mesagog said in an almost fatherly tone.

"Sure…" Elsa murmured. It was at least seven feet tall already, having to hunch over in the room. He was as many colors as the rainbow and had scales the size of small television screens.

"Does it have a name?" she asked.

"I call it the Laz-Raptor," Mesagog answered.

"Catchy…what's he do?" Elsa probed.

"You shall soon see," he answered. The Laz-Raptor eyed Mesagog with its large elliptical shaped eyes.

"How may I serve you, master," it asked.


	6. VI

That night Trent was pacing around the kitchen when his father walked in. At first, Trent didn't look at his father. He couldn't be sure these days whether Mesagog knew what they talked about. Finally Anton broke the silence.

"So how was your day?" Anton asked. Trent merely shrugged.

"Is something wrong, son?" he pressed, forcing Trent to make eye contact.

"Like you haven't heard," Trent grumbled. Anton let out a sigh.

"You mean about Dr. Oliver?" he asked.

"Yeah…Dad how could you let that happen?" Trent demanded.

"I can't control what he does. I wish I could," Anton murmured. Trent turned his back on his father and ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't going to get any help with the bail money if the conversation kept in this vein.

"Well can you help us try and fix it then?" he asked, still not turning around.

"I'll do anything I can," Anton answered.

"Help pay his bail," Trent stated. Anton let out a long, slow breath that made Trent turn around.

"How much is it?" he asked. Trent's gaze darted to the floor.

"Five hundred thousand," he muttered.

"What? Was the judge crazy?" Anton scoffed. Trent cracked a little smile.

"So you'll help?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

"I'll see what I can come up with," Anton answered.

"Thanks Dad," Trent said, hugging his father quickly before heading out of the room. Anton watched his son go and suddenly felt light headed. He gripped the counter in front of him with one hand and used the other to rub his temples. The pain in his head grew stronger.

"No…not now…please," he begged to no one in particular. His body shuddered several times and he collapsed to the floor. When he stood up again, he was no longer Anton Mercer. Mesagog looked around in displeasure before disappearing into an invisiportal.

The following day felt like agony for Trent and the rest of the team. Conner and Ethan were still giving Kira the cold shoulder. Every time Trent tried to talk to them they'd blow him off too. So Kira and Trent found themselves sitting together at lunch.

"Those two need to grow up and stop acting like idiots," Trent groaned.

"Yeah I mean…don't they get that the longer we fight to bigger the risk is that Mesagog will do something," she agreed.

"I talked to my Dad last night," he said offhandedly as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"What did he say?" Kira probed, hoping it was something good.

"He said he would see what he could do about helping to pay for Dr. O's bail," Trent answered.

"I still can't believe the judge set it so high. It's not like he would do anything," Kira groaned.

"Who knows…maybe they have the judge under a spell too," Trent said with a shrug.

"God this is just so messed up," Kira muttered, getting up to throw her trash away. Just as she was returning to the table, Conner and Ethan approached them. Trent stood up and put himself between the approaching guys and Kira.

"What do you want?" he asked defensively.

"Dude…chill. We just wanted to apologize to Kira," Conner answered. Trent started to move but decided against it.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Trent demanded.

"We've been thinking and you're right. We need to just forget about what happened and work as a team. It wasn't Kira's fault," Ethan explained.

"Thanks guys," Kira said, walking from behind Trent to give them both a quick hug. Trent was about to tell them about what his dad has promised when they all spotted Cassidy and Devon heading their way.

"Oh great. Just what we need," Trent muttered under his breath.

"Hey guys," Cassidy said, smiling.

"Hi Cassidy," Ethan greeted.

"So…have you heard anything about Dr. Oliver?" she asked, pulling a pen and pad out of her bag.

"No…we haven't sorry," Trent answered immediately.

"Are you sure?" she pressed.

"Because I heard he was sent to jail for life," she told them.

"Get your facts straight Cassidy. He hasn't even had a trial yet," Kira shot angrily.

"So you do know something," the blond said excitedly.

"Forget this. We don't need to stand here and watch her slander Dr. O's name," Trent said, starting to walk away. Conner started to follow suit.

"Guys wait!" Kira called and both stopped.

"We do know something but you can't go spreading it around," Kira saod. Cassidy's eyes lit up.

"His bail is five hundred thousand dollars," she said.

"Wait…why can't we tell people What if they wanted to raise money?" Devon asked. That got Trent to turn around.

"You really want to raise money to help get Dr. O out of prison?" he asked and Devon nodded.

"I mean sure he gives a lot of homework sometimes but he's a cool teacher. Whatever they say he did I don't think he really did it," Devon answered and went fishing in his pocket.

"Consider this my contribution," he said, handing Trent a twenty dollar bill.

"Thanks. Just…be careful. We don't want Randall to find out. I have a feeling she doesn't want people to know what's going on," Trent said. Cassidy nodded.

"I promise, I'll be careful," she said and fished into her purse and handed over two twenties. Just then the bell rang and they headed in for the rest of the day's classes. The following morning, Trent made a proposition to their science class.

"Guys…we're trying to raise money to help pay Dr. Oliver's bail. So if you want to donate anything, even if it is just a couple dollars, it would be really appreciated. Murmurs filled the classroom and wallets appeared all around the room. He pulled out an envelope from his backpack and began collecting.

"How much did we get?" Kira asked as they headed down the stairs of Tommy's lab that afternoon. He pulled the envelope from his bag and emptied it out and quickly counted it. They'd gotten donations from some of the other students in the halls.

"We have five hundred and sixty four dollars," Trent answered. He seemed pretty surprised and impressed at the mount of money his classmates were willing to donate to get their teacher back.

"What's going on?" Hayley asked, appearing from nowhere.

"We're raising money at school," Kira answered.

"Be careful," Hayley cautioned.

"We are. Don't worry," Trent assured her. Just then Jason walked in. He saw the envelope and the money lying on the table. He pulled his wallet from his jacket and tossed some bills into the mix. Kira noticed a couple hundred dollar bills.

"I'd empty out my bank account if I thought it would help," Jason sighed. Hayley gave him a sympathetic look.

"We're going to get him out of there," she said. Just then Trent seemed remember something important because he went fishing through his bag.

"I almost forgot. My dad wrote me a check this morning," he said and flashed it around; $40,000.

"Well that's going to go a long way," Hayley said, smiling.

"So what do we do now? We can't just show up with all of this money. It's not even close to the amount," Conner called.

"Well it might be enough to make a good faith payment," Hayley stated.

They grew silent for a while. Trent compiled the cash and his father's check and put it back in the envelope. They weren't sure what to say or do. They knew Hayley or Jason would have to bring the bail money. Finally Trent handed the envelope to Hayley.

"You should probably take it," he said.

"I really wish I could remember what they don't want me to remember," Kira grumbled for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Well it was the spell that made you forget," Ethan reminded her.

"Maybe there's a way we can reverse the effects," Trent suggested.

"How? I don't think Mesagog would be too keen on letting her remember," Conner remarked.

"No…but we could try and build something that could restore her memory," Trent answered. Conner and Ethan looked at him as if he had three heads.

"I'm serious. Hayley…you build stuff all the time. Could this be done?" he asked.

"I suppose…I mean I've never tried anything like that. And we would need Tommy's help," Hayley answered.

"What do you mean?" Kira asked. Jason seemed to be catching on.

"Find a way to take what happened from his point of you and give it to you," he said, looking at Trent to make sure that was the idea they were going for.

"Ok…that just sounds way too creepy," Kira said, looking uneasy.

"If we can show you what happened, then maybe we can find a way to take the blame off of Dr. O," Ethan said, liking the idea.

"I think my dad could help build it," Trent voiced, hoping his father could indeed help them without freaking out and becoming Mesagog. He hoped that he wouldn't have to tell his friends another of his secrets.

"Let's get started then," Hayley said.


	7. VII

Hayley took a deep breath as she waited in line at the bank. She was going to deposit all the money they'd collected and then write a check to give to the court. She watched as the woman in front of her went searching through her bag for something. Just when Hayley was about to say something rude one of the teller's called to her.

"I can take you over here, ma'am," he said. She gave him a grateful look and walked over to him. He took her deposit and started to process it. Her eyes followed every movement, hoping he wouldn't transpose digits.

"Here you go. Have a nice day," he said. Hayley took the slip and checked the numbers against what she knew should be there. It matched. She gave him a nod and headed back to her car.

"Time to get you out of there," she breathed, pulling out of the parking lot.

Back at the Mercer residence, Trent was waiting impatiently for his father to get home. He needed to convince his dad to help with this. He was the only one who could counteract whatever Elsa had done. He checked his watch and found that only ten minutes had passed. Finally he heard the door open and he sprinted to the front of the house.

"Dad, I need some help," he said.

"Can I put my things down first?" Anton asked. Trent nodded and was hot on his father's heels as he walked into his office.

"What do you need help with?" he asked, sitting down behind his desk.

"We want to build a device to show Kira what happened," he continued.

"No. Trent I can't help you with that," Anton answered sharply.

"Dad…why not?" he begged.

"The link between myself and Mesagog is too fragile. I could slip at any point. I don't want to put you in that position," Anton answered.

"I don't care if he finds out. Screw Mesagog. You're the only one who can help us get what we need," Trent countered.

"I gave you money. That's all I can give you," Anton said. His tone was dismissive and Trent let out a frustrated huff.

"I just thought you'd want to help an old friend out," he muttered before walking out of the room. Anton watched his son walk away. He wished he could help Tommy out. But he didn't want to risk Mesagog taking over midway through.

Around the same time, Hayley pulled up to the police station. She vaulted from her car and nearly took out an officer on her way in.

"Sorry," she called as she skidded to a stop at the front desk.

"May I help you?" the desk clerk asked.

"Can you tell me where to pay bail?" she asked. The clerk pointed down the hall and she walked briskly in that direction. She had to wait in another line but luckily it moved faster than the bank line.

"Next," the man behind the counter called. Hayley walked up and slid the check to him under the pane of glass separating them.

"Who is this for?" he asked.

"Tommy Oliver," she answered. He turned to his computer and pulled up a file.

"His bail is substantially more than this amount, ma'am," he said.

"I know…but…isn't it enough for a good faith payment or something?" she asked, sounding desperate. Hell she was desperate. Her best friend was in jail for no reason.

"I'm afraid not. We need bail paid in full to release prisoners," he answered. Her mouth hung open in shock. How could anyone expect them to come up with that much money before a trial took place? Angrily she snatched the check back and stormed from the room.

She found the rangers bent over the computer at the Cyber Space. Conner looked up to see how pissed off she looked and didn't say anything. Ethan noticed the check in her hand.

"Where's Dr. O? I thought you were going to pay his bail," he commented. Hayley rounded on him.

"Nope. We need the full five hundred thousand to get him out," she snapped. All four rangers jumped at her tone.

"That's crazy. No one can get that kind of money this fast…unless they robbed a bank or something," Conner interjected. Kira stayed silent while Trent was lost in his own brooding.

"Someone please tell me what have some good news in all of this. We have help with the device?" Hayley asked.

"My dad said he can't help," Trent admitted.

"What? You said he'd definitely help," Kira almost shouted.

"I said I thought he could. He said all he could do was help with the money," he said. He wasn't about to tell them his father's fear. He knew the team couldn't handle another blow like him being in Mesagog's lair right now. They were fragile enough as it was.

"We'll just have to try and figure it out on our own," he murmured.

"Then let's get going. The longer we sit around and spin our wheels the longer he sits in there," she said, ushering them away from the computer.

They arrived at the lab to find Jason staring at a photograph. They didn't want to startle him so they tried to be quiet as they started to gather what they thought they'd need for the device. Kira tentatively made her way towards Jason and peered at the picture over his shoulder. It was of he and Tommy when they were younger.

"You look really happy," she noted. He looked up and nodded.

"As sappy as it sounds, I really miss him," Jason said, laughing bitterly to himself.

"I'm so sorry. I just can't say it enough," she apologized for the millionth time.

"I swear if I get the chance I'm going to beat that manipulative little bitch to a pulp," he said, his fingers tightening around the edges of the photograph.

"Hey guys, we could use a little help," Trent called. Kira and Jason joined them. Hayley had managed to compile some parts including a small laser.

"What is that going to do exactly?" Kira asked nervously.

"Theoretically, once we find a way to get Tommy's memories, we will convert it an optical beam and fire it…at you," the older woman explained.

"Right," Kira gulped.

"Is there anything more we can do now? I mean until we have Tommy's…whatever it is we need from him?" Jason questioned. Hayley shook her head sadly.

"I don't think so. We should be able to plug it in to the outlet for power," she answered.

"Guys, why don't you go home and get some rest. This has been stressful for you," she suggested. None of them wanted to leave but they knew Hayley would badge them until they did. They grabbed their backpacks and headed up the stairs.

"So how are we going to get his DNA?" Jason asked.

"I have no idea," Hayley sighed.

Luckily neither of them would have to worry about that much longer. At that very moment Anton was walking towards the visiting area of the prison. He was stopped at the security point and had to put his keys and wallet through the metal detector. He passed through without question and waited for the guards to bring Tommy in. He'd been careful to conceal his weapon. Upon entering, Tommy was surprised to see Anton sitting there waiting for him.

"Anton? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Doing a favor for someone," Anton answered. Tommy looked confused.

"Does this have something to do with Trent?" Tommy whispered, leaning in closely.

"He asked me for my help and I wasn't sure I could give it…but I reevaluated the situation and well…here I am," he explained.

"I'm afraid I don't follow," Tommy stated. Anton watched. The guard seemed not to be paying attention so he leaned forward.

"Let's just say he's trying to get you out of here and I'm providing a sure fire way," Anton explained. He stood up, making it look he was going to leave. He motioned for Tommy to stay seated and walked around so he was standing behind Tommy. As inconspicuously s he could, Anton produced a needle and stick it into Tommy's neck. Tommy let out a gasp but the pain ended as quickly as it had begun. Anton pulled it out and capped in one motion. Wordlessly he walked out of the room and passed back through the security check point.

That evening Trent walked into the kitchen to find an envelope with his name on it sitting on the kitchen table. He picked up and opened it. Inside was a syringe of clear fluid and a note. It read 'This is what you need'. He smiled and rushed into his room for some privacy.

"Guys! I have it," he called over his communicator.

"Have what?" a chorus of voices asked.

"What we need to show Kira what happened," he answered excitedly. They all agreed to meet at the lab as soon as possible.

Within an hour they'd managed to get the device working. Kira was sitting in a chair, gripping the arms so tight that her knuckles turned white. Hayley was finishing up the laser alignment.

"Are you ready for this?" she asked. Kira swallowed and nodded.

"Let's just get it over with. I'm ready to know," Kira answered.

"Ok…keep your head completely still and try not to blink," Hayley instructed. Kira nodded and watched as Trent turned the machine on. The laser, a bright purple, came shooting out and hit her retina straight on. She took a sharp intake of breath at the contact but did her best not to move or blink. What she saw made her sick.

_She saw herself unbuttoning her shirt and undoing Tommy's. She could feel the adrenaline pumping through Tommy's system as she sat in his lap._

It finally ended and she couldn't help but cry. Her entire body shook with sobs and Trent wrapped his arm around her.

"Just breathe. It's ok. It wasn't really you," he told her. She nodded and wiped at her eyes.

"I know…but knowing makes it worse," she whispered. They all looked around at each other. Now that she knew what had happened, the next step would be finding a way to get Tommy out of trouble.


	8. VIII

Above the sleeping houses of Reef Side, Mesagog's lair was buzzing with activity. The Laz-Raptor had been growing impatient with waiting for Mesagog's order to attack. The creature was pacing back and forth, wringing his hands.

"You know, when people don't follow his order, they usually get punished…painfully," Elsa informed the monster.

"He would not punish me; his own brilliant creation," the monster countered. Elsa just rolled her eyes.

"Go ahead. Try and destroy the city before he tells you to and see how he feels about it," she goaded. Just then, Mesagog stormed in.

"What are you two arguing about?" he growled.

"Your little pet project wanted to start attacking the city without you," Elsa answered.

"Snitch," the creature hissed at her. She just winked at him and shrugged.

"Enough," Mesagog boomed, getting their attention. He moved to sit on his throne, keeping a close eye on both.

"We will attack when the rangers are most vulnerable," he began. The Laz-Raptor looked expectantly at his master.

"When they are at school?" Elsa proposed.

"No!" he hissed. She cringed.

"Wile they sleep is when we will attack," Mesagog spat. Elsa took a step back, laughing weakly as she went.

"Can I go and attack the city now?" the monster begged.

"Pathetic," Elsa grumbled under her breath.

"Go and do not stop until all of Reef Side has been restored to its rightful state," the giant lizard ordered. With a flash of bright light, the Laz-Raptor disappeared. Elsa merely looked disgusted.

Down at the Reef Side city Jail, Tommy was staring up at the ceiling in boredom when a noise caught his attention. He looked to his right but saw nothing. With a sigh, he went back to staring absently at the cinderblocks above him.

"Psst," a familiar voice called. He definitely wasn't imagining it. This time, Tommy swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Before he could even stand up, Trent materialized from the wall. The sudden appearance of one of his students in the middle of the night made Tommy jump.

"Trent, what are you doing here?" Tommy hissed. At the moment he was at least grateful that this little intrusion wasn't going to be witnessed by a cell mate.

"Getting you of here," Trent answered, peering through the bars on the door to make sure no one was coming.

"Are you crazy? How did you even get in here?" Tommy gasped.

"Uh…I can camouflage myself remember," Trent replied.

"You can't break me out of jail," he protested.

"Sure I can. I can blend in with any surface and you can become invisible. Doesn't seem all that hard to me," Trent responded. Tommy just shook his head.

"Thanks for the offer but I have no intention of becoming a fugitive," he stated.

"Dr. O we're trying to get you out of this…and this is the only way I know how," Trent pleaded.

"I know you're trying. Believe me, it's not going unnoticed. But its better to just let things work through the system at this point," Tommy said. Trent didn't like that answer but said nothing. They fell into silence for a few minutes.

"Your dad came to see me earlier," Tommy murmured. Trent looked up at this.

"Said he was helping you with something," he added. Trent could tell Tommy wanted to know why Anton had paid him a visit.

"Uh…yeah. We built a device to show Kira what happened. Elsa put a spell on her and it made her forget what she did," Trent explained uncomfortably.

"I had a feeling Elsa and Mesagog might be behind this," Tommy spat.

"How would your dad visiting me help with that exactly?" Tommy asked. He had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't going to like what Trent was about to say.

"Please don't get mad…but my dad knows I'm a granger. He knows everything," Trent mumbled.

"How?" was all Tommy could come up with. Trent bit his lip and took a deep breath before giving an answer.

"My dad…is Mesagog," Trent finally admitted. He waited for the anger to explode within Tommy.

"What?" Tommy hissed. He hadn't expected that as an explanation. But it made sense didn't it. How Anton miraculously showed up again.

"He's trying to fight it. It's why he came to see you. He knew it was the only way we could help Kira," Trent replied defensively. Tommy let out a long breath.

"This isn't something you can keep from the team, Trent," Tommy scolded.

"I only found out a little while ago. And the team barely trusts me as it is," Trent bean.

"Does your father know what Mesagog is planning?" the elder of the two asked.

"All I know is he created some kind of creature. It's really powerful," Trent replied.

"Look, I want you to tell the others everything that you know. And I mean everything, Trent," he said firmly.

'What about you?" the boy questioned.

"I have a hearing with the school board this morning. If you can come up with something…anything to get me out of this I'd really appreciate it," Tommy answered. Trent nodded and started to blend in with the wall.

"One more thing," Tommy whispered. Trent became fully visible again.

"Tell Kira not to worry," he called.

"You got it," Trent murmured before completely disappearing from view. Tommy stared at the spot for a minute before climbing back on top of his bed.

In the business district of the city, the Laz-Raptor looked around. He expected people to still be out and about but found there was a severe lack of humans. He scratched his head for a minute but let it pass. They would come when they felt the changes start.

"Time for a make over, Reef Side," he cackled wildly. He was going to enjoy this. He turned to his left and sized up the high rise buildings before him. Opening his arms wide, lasers shot out from his multi-colored scales. He laughed a little as the beams collided with the buildings. Everything the lasers touched was instantly reverted to rock formations and lush, green, vegetation.

"This is fun," he exclaimed, turning his lasers on other surrounding buildings. He moved quickly through the business district, leveling skyscraper after skyscraper.

Back on the other side of town, monitors began blaring at the lab. Hayley, who had taken to sleeping there in Tommy's absence, sat up straight at the noise. She looked around, trying to figure out what time it was. She finally spotted the clock on the TV set and found it was nearly one in the morning.

"What is going on?" she grumbled, heading down to check the computers. She saw the business district, or what was left of it, on the screen.

"Great," she groaned, opening up communication with the ranger.

"Guys, I'm really sorry to wake you up but we have a huge emergency," she said. Conner, Ethan and Kira all groggily responded.

"It's one in the morning," Kira groaned.

"Yeah…I was asleep," Ethan added.

"Can't it wait?" Conner grumbled.

"How big of an emergency?" Trent's voice came, clearly awake.

"Oh about seven feet of an emergency. If we're lucky we can stop it before it hits the more residential part of the city," Hayley answered.

"This has to be Mesagog's monster," Trent exclaimed.

"Care to explain further?" Ethan asked.

"Mesagog created a monster that is supposed to be really powerful. Not sure what it does—" he began.

"Turns everything it touches back to the prehistoric era," Hayley yawned.

"Nice way to achieve his plan of world domination," Conner commented.

"I know it's really early but can you guys get over here? We need to stop this thing before it does some major damage," Hayley asked.

"I'm on my way," Trent said and his connection went dead. She got mumbled confirmation from the other three and went upstairs to wait. They arrived twenty minutes later.

"Dude, why are you so awake?" Ethan yawned, looking at Trent.

"Long story," he replied.

"Give us the cliff notes version," Kira said.

"I snuck into prison to try and break Dr. O out but he wouldn't let me," Trent began. He expected commentary but got none.

"And…the reason I know what Mesagog was kind of planning is because my dad is Mesagog," he said as quickly as he could.

"He what?" Hayley boomed.

"I know…you all have a right to hate me but right now we have more important things to deal with…like stopping that monster," he countered.

"What about Dr. O?" Kira asked.

"He has a hearing this morning. We need to try and come up with a way to get him out of this," Trent repeated the familiar words.

"Conner…you and Trent go take care of this dino-sore. Ethan and Kira and I will work on Dr. O's situation," Hayley said. With one last look between them, Conner and Trent stepped back to morph.

"Dino Thunder, Power up- Ha!" Conner called.

"White Ranger, Dino Power," Trent added.

"Let's get this prehistoric pest," Trent said and he and Conner disappeared.


	9. IX

Trent and Conner appeared on the outskirts of the business district. They looked around in awe at what the Laz-Raptor had done. There wasn't a building to be seen, only rocks and trees.

"I hope he didn't hurt any of the civilians," Trent murmured. Just then a giant mastodon ambled by. It seemed not to notice the two Rangers standing there.

"I'm thinking…that was a person about an hour ago," Conner said, watching the massive beast continue on its way.

"Power Rangers? What are you doing here?" The Laz-Raptor called. The two teens spun around to face the creature.

"We're here to stop you freak," Trent answered.

"Stop? I can't stop…not until all of Reef Side is back to the way it should be," the monster answered, letting a laser blast fly past the Rangers. Conner and Trent hit the ground just in time to avoid being hit.

"I think we need dinozord power," Conner stated.

"Not yet. Let's see if we can take him out," Trent answered, running at the creature with lightning quick speed. He got a few blows in before the monster knocked him to the ground.

"My turn," Conner yelled, and took a running leap, landing a kick to the creatures gut. He stumbled backwards, letting out a howl of discomfort.

"That's not fair!" the Laz-Raptor growled, sending a laser at Conner. He dodged it just in time.

"Time to pull out the dinozords yet?" he gasped, looking to Trent.

"We need to hold him off as long as we can. We're going to need Ethan and Kira," Trent answered, getting up and taking a fresh swing at the monster.

Back at the lab, Hayley, Ethan and Kira were sitting around, trying to think of anything that could help get Tommy out of trouble. Presently Kira was spinning in circles in her chair.

"What are we going to do?" Kira groaned.

"I'm thinking," Ethan said, holing up his hand to silence her.

Neither had noticed that Hayley had gone upstairs. She returned with three mugs. Two were filled with hot chocolate, the third with coffee. She handed the two mugs of hot chocolate to Ethan and Kira, taking a seat in the vacant chair in front of the computer.

"To keep you awake," she said. Kira nodded and took a sip. They fell into silence once more.

"I've got it!" Kira finally exclaimed. Hayley and Ethan looked at her expectantly. However, before she could open her mouth the computer beeped and Trent's voice came through.

"Guys…I hate to break up the brainstorming session but we could really use your help out here. We can't get near this thing," Trent began, the communication cutting out of r a minute.

"Can't get near it without risking the laser hitting us and turning us into dinos," he continued.

"Go," Hayley ordered. The pair stood up, and morphed before heading off to join Trent and Conner.

Hayley watched them go and sighed, gulping down the coffee. She wished Kira had been able to explain her idea before they rushed off. But at the moment, she knew protecting the city was more important.

"What'd we miss?" Ethan asked as they spotted the other two Rangers huddled behind a giant rock formation.

"Just the city turning into jungle," Conner answered.

"Hey lizard breath, you're history," Ethan shouted, running out from behind the rock. He called for his shield and it collided with the Laz-Raptor's arm.

"You think that can stop me?" the creature laughed. He fired a laser directly at Ethan but he managed to block it with shield.

"A little help," he called over his shoulder. All at once, the Rangers rushed the Laz-Raptor, attacking from all sides. He finally retreated, disappearing into an invisiportal.

"Let's hope he disappears for a while," Conner yawned.

"Come on, we need to get back to the lab," Kira instructed and they left the business district, or what was left of it.

"How'd it go?" Hayley asked upon their return.

"Well he retreated. So hopefully he'll stay wherever he went for a while," Ethan answered.

"Before you two called for back up, Kira had an idea on how to help Tommy," Hayley reminded them.

"Let's here it," Trent said.

"Well…we could try and pin it on Randall. You guys saw her talking t me before class. I can say something like she threatened me if I didn't do it," she suggested. The rest of the team thought about it for a minute.

"It could work. Won't they want proof though?" Ethan asked.

"Well we all know she doesn't like Dr. O," Conner said.

"Yeah…you could say she threatened to expel you," Trent offered. Kira nodded vehemently.

"Well we'll need to fill Tommy in the plan," Hayley interjected. Trent was on his feet instantly.

"I'll go let him know," he offered, already heading up the stairs.

"Hey…maybe I should go," Hayley interrupted.

"I can get in without being seen. I'll be in and out in no time," he countered.

"Guys for now, Mesagog's monster is gone. How about you just get some sleep. I don't think Tommy would mind you staying here," she said. Trent looked disappointed but headed for the couch. The other three grabbed blankets and spots on the floor.

Around eight o'clock Hayley headed over to the jail, hoping to speak to Tommy before they took him over to court. She managed to snag a few minutes.

"Hey," she greeted as he sat down.

"Did…Trent tell you…" he began to ask.

"Yeah…and Mesagog's new monster is doing a number on the city. Decimated the business district," she answered.

"What does it do?" he questioned.

"Turns everything it touches to the prehistoric era. But…we think we have a way to get you out of this," she answered.

"Yeah?"

"We're going to go with Randall threatened to expel Kira if she didn't try and get you fired," Hayley whispered so the guards wouldn't hear her.

"I can do that," he agreed.

"Alright, I have to go. We'll try and see you in court," she said, giving him a hug before they escorted him out of the room. With that she headed back to pick the Rangers up.

At Mesagog's lair, the Laz-Raptor was clutching its head in pain. Elsa was standing as far away from him as she could to keep from suffering Mesagog's anger.

"I told you to destroy the city!" he ground out.

"I tried…but the Power Rangers…they attacked…all sides…I couldn't…" the monster rambled.

"Get back down there," Mesagog ordered. The Laz-Raptor disappeared.

"I…I have to appear in court as Randall to ensure Dr. Oliver stays in prison," Elsa said, catching an invisiportal.

Court convened promptly at 9:00. Jason had met the Rangers there and they were seated in the gallery. Tommy was brought in, wearing orange prison garb.

"Wow…orange…definitely not his color," Jason whispered. Just then the members of the school board walked in and sat down at a long table that had been placed in front of the judge's bench.

"Let's get started," the head of the board said. Elsa looked over at Tommy and gave him a smirk. He glared back. Elsa stood up and gave her side of the story, a very contorted and warped version. The school board turned to look at Tommy.

"Do you have any witnesses?" one of the members asked. Tommy leaned in and whispered in his attorney's ear. They glanced back and motioned for Kira. She swallowed and stood up.

"They can't call her. She was involved," Elsa spat.

"Let's hear what she has to say," a woman at the end of the table answered. They looked at Kira and she took a deep breath.

"I was set up by Principal Randall," she said. She hoped Tommy had filled in his attorney on what the plan was.

"Excuse me?" Elsa hissed.

"She stopped me as I was going into class and said she needed to speak to me," Kira continued.

"She said that she wanted Dr. Oliver out of the school and said I was going to help her or else she'd find a way to expel me," she added.

"She threatened you with expulsion to get him fired?" the head of the board asked.

"Yes sir. I only did what I did because I didn't want to get expelled," Kira answered.

"It's not even his fault. I came on to him," she added.

"That's all a lie!" Elsa howled.

"We're going to need to look into this. Mr. Oliver, you may go home. Our apologies," the board chair said. Tommy nodded his head and stood up. He exchanged a handshake with his lawyer and walked out with the bailiff. Ten minutes later he caught up with the Rangers.

"Thanks guys," he said, beaming.

"I hate to interrupt this, but we have an emergency," Hayley said.

They headed out of the court and back to the lab. They saw the Laz-Raptor heading for the residential district.

"So that's what we're dealing with?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah," Trent answered. Without another word they headed for the district.

"I say we cut to the chase and call on the zords now," Conner suggested. They called the zords and as if on cue, the Laz-Raptor grew in size.

"Man, why can't we just step on the damn thing?" Ethan groaned.

"Let's get this over with," Kira said. They boarded the zord and faced off. They ran towards the Laz-Raptor, fists raised. They missed it by an inch. Before they could right themselves Tommy called to them.

"Call the auxiliary zords," he called. Just as they called the extra zords, the monster loose a laser beam. It hit the zords, making them real.

"Oh…not good," Trent called.

"How do we defeat this thing?" Ethan asked.

"It looks like its power comes from the scales under its arms. Try hitting those and maybe it will render the lasers useless," Tommy replied.

"You got it, Dr. O," Conner said. They aimed a shot and it hit under the monster's left arm.

"Ow! You'll pay for that," he howled. He raised his right arm but Trent was too fast, taking that laser out too.

"Uh Oh," the monster said, seeing the Rangers advancing on him. With all the energy he could muster, he sent one final laser at them. It didn't do much good as both zords landing devastating blows to the creature. It fell to the ground, exploding on contact.

"Look!" Kira shouted. The rangers looked around them. Forest and vegetation began to disappear and high rise buildings took their places. Dinosaurs became people and the auxiliary zords returned to their normal state.

"Awesome job Rangers. Let's get back to the lab," Tommy called.

Two weeks later, the board had investigated Kira and Tommy's accusations against Randall and found they were more compelling than Randall's argument.

"This is great. Randall's gone…which means so is Elsa," Ethan said with a sile as they sat around at the Cyber Space.

"Yeah…but there's still my dad," Trent sighed. He looked over at Tommy.

"I'd love to help your Dad, Trent. But we can't risk letting him into the lab," Tommy stated. Trent nodded.

"I know…I just hope he's strong enough to fight this," he murmured.

"The important thing is…we made it…all of us," Tommy said, looking around at the four teens before him.

"Have I mentioned how completely sorry and embarrassed I am?" Kira asked for what had to be the hundredth time.

"Yes. You're forgiven," Tommy said just as Jason walked in.

"You guys are going to have to excuse me…" he said and stood.

"Where are you going?" Conner asked.

"For a little celebration," Jason answered as he and Tommy headed out the door.


End file.
